Dragon Age 2 receives 94% score from PC Gamer

With all the hype surrounding Dragon Age 2, DX11 and all, I really wished I could get into this Dragon Age game. My brother have a copy and he really enjoyed it. But I somehow couldn't get into it myself. :(
 
LOL!

Take a look at the comments section. All the usual nonsense.

Some are saying that EA bribed PC Gamer, while others are trashing PC Gamer itself, saying that this magazine is trash and can't be trusted. Other people are saying that the review was published early with a high score as to garner attention for the magazine.

LOL. That's the internet for you.
 
Right. So if you agreed with what Desslock wrote about the original Dragon Age then you now have a reference point.
 
Yea PC Gamer has changed so much since the good old days of even a few years ago I don't trust there reviews worth a shit.

I'll decide if the game is worth any of my time when the demo comes out , until then I reserve judgement.
 
Review is a bit early, isn't it?

I don't want to read it; I still haven't quite finished the original and I don't want all the plots ruined...even if I am a "gameplay > story" supporter.
 
I thought John Walker from Rock Paper Shotgun reviewed the first one for PC gamer? He gave it a 94 too though.
 
Dion said:
People still trust reviews? I laugh :p
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Reviews can be indicative of a game's quality.

Only a fool would ignore a game that had received multiple scores in the mid 90's - this doesn't mean every single person is going to love the game but it's indicative that most will.
 
Plague_Injected said:
Review is a bit early, isn't it?

I don't want to read it; I still haven't quite finished the original and I don't want all the plots ruined...even if I am a "gameplay > story" supporter.
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One of the Bioware developers posted at Gamespot, saying that the game went gold today, but that it had really been finished, more or less, for over a month. He said that the quests mentioned by the PC Gamer reviewer were quests that were only available deep into the game.
 
Reviews are useless.

First of all at least some of them are bias when it comes to getting money from sources within the gaming industry, gamespot proved without a doubt.

Depending on what review you pick you'll get wildly different scores, I checked Metacritic for reviews of dragon age origins and it ranges from 100% to 70%

Metacritic also show that gamers on average give games lower scores than reviewers do, 91% for the average review score, and 84% for the average user score.

The best source for telling how good a game is, is you guys right here on the forums, you will give me a better idea of what the game is like than any reviewer will, if the game has a low FOV it will be here on the forums, if there's mouse acceleration then it will be here on the forums, if the control system is shit or the levels are cut and paste, or theres any hit of consolization it will be here on the forums.
 
I trust and respect Desslock, regardless of anything else. I don't have any doubts that this is a good and possibly even a very good game on its own merits.

Take the name Dragon Age out of it and I think that'll make a lot of people feel better. I liked that post someone put in the DA 2 thread where the developers admitted this game was really some side project/spinoff concept that got bumped up the ladder and they slapped the name "DA 2" on it.

http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1036827573&postcount=66

^^

That information pretty much removed any doubts in mind about approaching this thing as something else and not the "true sequel" to DA. That says it all.

I know this will be heresy to some here, but I'm betting I'm going to personally like the gameplay in this better, at least in some ways, than I did in DA. *puts flame suit on*

;)
 
castun said:
Like that POS CODBLOPS? :p
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When did BLOPS become a POS? Regardless if you enjoy the game or not, its the highest selling game for a reason ... and the bottom line is because its 'good'. Its the 3rd most played game on Steam, and has been #1 on Xbox Live for months straight. Is it one of the innovative greats? Well no, but the game is a big budget COD game which is actually quite good. http://store.steampowered.com/stats/

Yes, its a good game, else people wouldn't be playing all day everyday. Hardly a POS. I know you're new around here but despite what you may think, its not hip or subculture to make fun of COD. A large chunk of the user base here is older, mature and don't pander to trolling. Its just dumb, there is nobody cheering you on and COD has absolutely nothing to do with Dragon Age 2 so keep it out of this thread.

Anyways .... back on topic, DA2 is starting to look a little better what with these latest DX11 announcements, controls and now some of these reviews. I loved DAO so I'm hopeful DA2 can turn out to be just as good if not better. Right now I have the bar set low, just so I'm not let down.
 
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I still haven't played the original. It's installed and ready to go. I just gotta find the time.

Oh, wait... my desktop's mobo fried itself, last weekend.

Move along, nothing to see here, folks... :p
 
Big budget mainstream game gets big budget mainstream reviews. I'm not holding out much hope for this game, but I'm going to at least try it before I make up my mind, god knows most of my friends will pick it up day one regardless of quality.
 
WabeWalker said:
LOL!

Take a look at the comments section. All the usual nonsense.

Some are saying that EA bribed PC Gamer, while others are trashing PC Gamer itself, saying that this magazine is trash and can't be trusted. Other people are saying that the review was published early with a high score as to garner attention for the magazine.

LOL. That's the internet for you.
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I have a bridge to sell you.
 
theNoid said:
When did BLOPS become a POS? Regardless if you enjoy the game or not, its the highest selling game for a reason ... and the bottom line is because its 'good'. Its the 3rd most played game on Steam, and has been #1 on Xbox Live for months straight. Is it one of the innovative greats? Well no, but the game is a big budget COD game which is actually quite good. http://store.steampowered.com/stats/

Yes, its a good game, else people wouldn't be playing all day everyday. Hardly a POS. I know you're new around here but despite what you may think, its not hip or subculture to make fun of COD. A large chunk of the user base here is older, mature and don't pander to trolling. Its just dumb, there is nobody cheering you on and COD has absolutely nothing to do with Dragon Age 2 so keep it out of this thread.

Anyways .... back on topic, DA2 is starting to look a little better what with these latest DX11 announcements, controls and now some of these reviews. I loved DAO so I'm hopeful DA2 can turn out to be just as good if not better. Right now I have the bar set low, just so I'm not let down.
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COD is the Bud Light of gaming. More people drink it, so it can't be anything but the best.
 
ThisIsTheNewSound said:
Big budget mainstream game gets big budget mainstream reviews. I'm not holding out much hope for this game, but I'm going to at least try it before I make up my mind, god knows most of my friends will pick it up day one regardless of quality.
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It's a Bioware game. Even their shittiest works (ME2 anyone?) are still competent games
 
PrincessFrosty said:
Reviews are useless.

First of all at least some of them are bias when it comes to getting money from sources within the gaming industry, gamespot proved without a doubt.

Depending on what review you pick you'll get wildly different scores, I checked Metacritic for reviews of dragon age origins and it ranges from 100% to 70%

Metacritic also show that gamers on average give games lower scores than reviewers do, 91% for the average review score, and 84% for the average user score.

The best source for telling how good a game is, is you guys right here on the forums, you will give me a better idea of what the game is like than any reviewer will, if the game has a low FOV it will be here on the forums, if there's mouse acceleration then it will be here on the forums, if the control system is shit or the levels are cut and paste, or theres any hit of consolization it will be here on the forums.
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I'd rather read what Desslock has to say about an RPG than somebody who pirated it.
 
PrincessFrosty said:
Reviews are useless.

First of all at least some of them are bias when it comes to getting money from sources within the gaming industry, gamespot proved without a doubt.

Depending on what review you pick you'll get wildly different scores, I checked Metacritic for reviews of dragon age origins and it ranges from 100% to 70%

Metacritic also show that gamers on average give games lower scores than reviewers do, 91% for the average review score, and 84% for the average user score.

The best source for telling how good a game is, is you guys right here on the forums, you will give me a better idea of what the game is like than any reviewer will, if the game has a low FOV it will be here on the forums, if there's mouse acceleration then it will be here on the forums, if the control system is shit or the levels are cut and paste, or theres any hit of consolization it will be here on the forums.
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Yup. Best reviews here in the forums. Even very helpful reading those who hated it (and I liked it) and vice versa.

Q-BZ said:
Take the name Dragon Age out of it and I think that'll make a lot of people feel better. I liked that post someone put in the DA 2 thread where the developers admitted this game was really some side project/spinoff concept that got bumped up the ladder and they slapped the name "DA 2" on it.

http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1036827573&postcount=66

^^

That information pretty much removed any doubts in mind about approaching this thing as something else and not the "true sequel" to DA. That says it all.

I know this will be heresy to some here, but I'm betting I'm going to personally like the gameplay in this better, at least in some ways, than I did in DA. *puts flame suit on*

;)
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I'm with ya. I would have said the same about the combat. ;)
 
The first one received scores in the mid 90s, so it's reasonable that the second one would as well.
 
Hornet said:
With all the hype surrounding Dragon Age 2, DX11 and all, I really wished I could get into this Dragon Age game. My brother have a copy and he really enjoyed it. But I somehow couldn't get into it myself. :(
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I couldn't get into Dragon Age either. I really wanted to love it since I love the Baldur's Gate series, and it was billed as the spiritual successor, but I just got bored of it very quickly.

I just looked up PC Gamer's past review scores. They gave Baldur's Gate a 94 and gave Baldur's Gate 2 a 91. So DA2 outscores BG2. LOL

I'd reverse those BG scores and on that scale, I'd give Dragon Age an 81.
 
There's something I'll never get. How much people focus on what score or percentage a game gets. It's virtually meaningless, what with the arbitrary scoring systems between different mags / sites or the fact that magazine reviewers get special treatment to review an 'early' copy in a controlled, cushy environment. I find that reading multiple review sites & magazines, and actually READING the reviews, as well as paying attention to what people here on forums say. As long as you ignore the fanboi / haterade comments and focus on the actual pros & cons, it's easy to make up a decision. It's what I've always done for games, and what I'll continue to do for this games and others in the future.

theNoid said:
When did BLOPS become a POS? Regardless if you enjoy the game or not, its the highest selling game for a reason ... and the bottom line is because its 'good'. Its the 3rd most played game on Steam, and has been #1 on Xbox Live for months straight. Is it one of the innovative greats? Well no, but the game is a big budget COD game which is actually quite good. http://store.steampowered.com/stats/

Yes, its a good game, else people wouldn't be playing all day everyday. Hardly a POS. I know you're new around here but despite what you may think, its not hip or subculture to make fun of COD. A large chunk of the user base here is older, mature and don't pander to trolling. Its just dumb, there is nobody cheering you on and COD has absolutely nothing to do with Dragon Age 2 so keep it out of this thread.
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Not trying to derail the thread or start a flame war, but...

Clearly I've struck a nerve. What was intended as an off-topic lighthearted joke (note the smiley, typically means one is not meant to be taken 100% seriously) was clearly perceived as a personal attack on you.

Yes it's true that I don't like COD anymore, not since the MW2 PC fiasco. I don't hate COD because of what it is, I hate it because of what it's become under Activision & Bobby Kotick. I've always been a fan of COD, but I've only JUST bought COD4 on Steam for the first time, and ONLY because it was $15 on the holiday sale. I've had plenty of fun with MP, especially since most of the cheaters have moved on to the newer games.

I also find it rather 'funny' that a game, a PC game no less, is still $30 retail, even though it's nearly 3 years old and has 2 very successful sequels, and probably yet another in the works as we speak.

I also refuse to spend $60 every year for virtually the exact same gameplay that only gets a few new features, tweaks & fixes, and a few new maps. It's the same crap every year with virtually the same graphics (COD4 still looks DAMN good.) Let's just hope that Activision doesn't get the idea to pull the plug on the master servers for older COD games in order to force you to buy newer like EA did with all it's sports titles.

/rant
 
castun said:
There's something I'll never get. How much people focus on what score or percentage a game gets. It's virtually meaningless, what with the arbitrary scoring systems between different mags / sites or the fact that magazine reviewers get special treatment to review an 'early' copy in a controlled, cushy environment. I find that reading multiple review sites & magazines, and actually READING the reviews, as well as paying attention to what people here on forums say. As long as you ignore the fanboi / haterade comments and focus on the actual pros & cons, it's easy to make up a decision. It's what I've always done for games, and what I'll continue to do for this games and others in the future.
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Agreed. Not to go off on a rant here, but I despise sites like Metacritic. Instead of telling people to read the reviews to actually understand what the review thought they're telling people to focus on some bullshit number that has absolutely zero mean and no real context behind it. Metacritic is the worst thing to EVER happen to game reviewing. "Page hit" style reviewing is easy to ignore because its easy to avoid the sites and reviewers that practice it, but Metacritic promotes all the bullshit gamers spew about scores and reviewers.

To people who bitch about differing review scores: Do you really think all reviewers should have the same opinion? Are you that fucking stupid or have your head stuck that far up your own asses that you don't understand what a fucking opinion is?
 
PrincessFrosty said:
Reviews are useless.

First of all at least some of them are bias when it comes to getting money from sources within the gaming industry, gamespot proved without a doubt.

Depending on what review you pick you'll get wildly different scores, I checked Metacritic for reviews of dragon age origins and it ranges from 100% to 70%

Metacritic also show that gamers on average give games lower scores than reviewers do, 91% for the average review score, and 84% for the average user score.

The best source for telling how good a game is, is you guys right here on the forums, you will give me a better idea of what the game is like than any reviewer will, if the game has a low FOV it will be here on the forums, if there's mouse acceleration then it will be here on the forums, if the control system is shit or the levels are cut and paste, or theres any hit of consolization it will be here on the forums.
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You can't always trust the user reviews on that website. They are often tainted by jaded people who are reviewing the game purely out of spite with absolutely no regard to the game's actual quality. Pase in coint:

http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2

MW2 was a terrible disappointment on the PC, but it was not a 3.6 game.
 
WabeWalker said:
I'd rather read what Desslock has to say about an RPG than somebody who pirated it.
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Yes because you mistakenly think anyone who pirates a game has an invalid opinion of that game.

I happen to think the opposite, if someone who has got the game for free doesn't want to play anymore it's indicative of a bad game, if they wish to continue playing to completion then the only motivation to do so is if the game is actually good.

People who pay for games have the motivation to keep playing because they spent money on the game and need to justify their purchase.

Once again you let your emotions of the hate of pirates cloud your judgement, it's only your loss.
 
Zero82z said:
No! Heaven forbid that different reviewers should have different opinions!
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The whole point of a review is to convey to the reader what the game is like, ideally a review should have no opinion at all and should just be the objective facts. If mainstream reviews can differ by a good 30% (and often more) then what use is any review?

Why do you think places like metacritic even exist, its because to get a good idea or overal quality you have to average reviews to normalize them.

krameriffic said:
You can't always trust the user reviews on that website. They are often tainted by jaded people who are reviewing the game purely out of spite with absolutely no regard to the game's actual quality. Pase in coint:

http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2

MW2 was a terrible disappointment on the PC, but it was not a 3.6 game.
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Why would anyone be jaded about the game to begin with, surely the properties of the game itself are the only thing that can lead gamers to be jaded? Even so a minority of jaded gamers would not influence a low score of 3.6 if the majority were still positive reviews, this is an overwhelming amount of sub par scores.

The main value of a MW game is in the multiplayer, and the multiplayer on the PC is fundamentally flawed with lack of admin abilities, dedicated servers, rampant cheating etc. 3.6 is a perfectly reasonable score for what is an overpriced, glorified console port which lacks one of the most fundamental basics of the multiplayer experience.

It's also interesting to note that the default view of the "most helpful" comments first, put all of the lower scored comments up top, so it's not just a handful of jaded people who rated it low, but also other people who then voted these low scores the most helpful of all comments.
 
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I don't want to feed a piracy discussion, but as a general principle (piracy or no) people who don't complete games (play only a few hours in) are not at all the best people to get opinions from. Much more than 3 hours is especially important for RPGs. FPS games less so.

PrincessFrosty, by your line of reasoning, Wabe's opinion would be a good measurement of game quality because he rarely finishes games. :p
 
PrincessFrosty said:
The whole point of a review is to convey to the reader what the game is like, ideally a review should have no opinion at all and should just be the objective facts. If mainstream reviews can differ by a good 30% (and often more) then what use is any review?
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That would be a description, not a review. If that's what you're after, look the game up on Wikipedia. Opinions are certainly important as well, because it allows you to gain a different perspective on the game and make a more informed decision on whether or not you should buy it.
 
PrincessFrosty said:
The whole point of a review is to convey to the reader what the game is like, ideally a review should have no opinion at all and should just be the objective facts. If mainstream reviews can differ by a good 30% (and often more) then what use is any review?

Why do you think places like metacritic even exist, its because to get a good idea or overal quality you have to average reviews to normalize them.
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You have no fucking clue what you're talking about. Reviews are OPINIONS. It is impossible for a human to be completely objective. There is no such thing as an objective opinion and there is no such thing as an objective judgement of a game. You want to know what an objective review would look like? Jim Sterling wrote one that is a perfect example of how fucking stupid that argument is: http://www.destructoid.com/100-objective-review-final-fantasy-xiii-179178.phtml That is a completely objective look at game. You can't say something is good or bad or if a bug is bad or not because that implies an opinion and a view. The point of a review is to convey the reviewers opinion. Nothing more and nothing less.

Places like Metacritic exist because people like you and all the ignorant assholes and lazy fucks out there that put too much stock in meaningless numbers with not context behind them and how seem to believe that aggragating differing opinions is means jack shit. Metacritic is a fucking piece of shit website and it along with the mindset it supports needs to die. It only serves to harm the review process and the industry as a whole. I fucking despise Metacritic.

PS: Using Metacritic as a point kills your earlier argument. A number implies an opinion and is given based on the reviewer's opinion of the game and their time playing. Hence there is no objectivity at all involved in any of the scores listed on Metacritic.
 
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phide said:
You're clearly quite angry. I see no cause for anger here.
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I am VERY passionate about reviewing. Its something I enjoy and take pride in. So yes I get defensive about it. I see nothing wrong with that. I'm going to defend something I enjoy doing. I don't believe in holding back my opinions.
 
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